Airport Scandal Fallout
WYMT CBS 27 (Kentucky)
January 5, 2009
From lavish trips to a $4,500 bill at a strip club, questions are being raised about how the former head of Blue Grass Airport, Mike Gobb, spent its money.
Now, days after he resigned there are calls for another airport leader to step down.
The Urban-County Council met Tuesday to talk about who should be held accountable for the spending irregularities. In the end, the council decided to ask Airport board chairman Bernard Lovely to step down from that post.
The council says he can still remain on the board, but is asking him not to attend meetings or take part in airport activities.
The council will vote on the resolution Thursday, but even if it passes, Vice Mayor Jim Gray admits airport board members do not have to abide by the resolution because the board does not answer to the council.
Gobb resigned last week amid the investigation into his spending of $200,000 in travel expenses over a two year period. Lovely allegedly signed off on Gobb's spending.
Most of the money that funds the airport comes from the public. So, is it possible that some of your dollars ended up being spent on these trips?
Mayor Jim Newberry expressed his disappointment in the scandal at the airport. "I am concerned and disgusted with what has been going on."
Newberry though assured the citizens of Lexington that he is confident the airport board will do what's best. He said the money spent by Mike Gobb for the lavish trips and expensive gifts is the public money. It consists of the passenger fee charged on each ticket purchased, parking and concession fees, as well as the rent paid by airlines. Newberry insisted no taxpayer dollars will be used this fiscal year at the airport. However, he says the past few years are being looked into.
Newberry also said he believes his staff, which includes Vice Mayor Jim Gray, who has been very outspoken on the airport scandal should not be involved in the process. "In my book, it should not be politicians place to try and run an airport. That is why we have an airport board, which has been successful for the past 60 years," said Newberry.
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$9,768,207,946,740.00
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$31,864.51 Per Citizen |
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